大家好！
Yesterday, April 7th, 2016, was the first “Eggroll and Dumpling Day” in Jericho history! The day was a huge success, with amazing acts, including skits, a capella singing, dances, as well as puppet shows. High school students in the Chinese programs of Great Neck North, Herricks, and Massapequa all attended to make the day fun and exciting!
Today, I would like to analyze the significance of the poem that I performed in Chinese Sign Language to in the show. The poem is called “再别康桥” (zài bié kāng qiáo) or “Taking Leave of Cambridge Again” and was written by 徐志摩 (xú zhì mó).
Here is the poem:
再别康桥
轻轻的我走了，
正如我轻轻的来；
我轻轻的招手，
作别西天的云彩。
那河畔的金柳，
是夕阳中的新娘；
波光里的艳影，
在我的心头荡漾。
软泥上的青荇，
油油的在水底招摇；
在康河的柔波里，
我甘心做一条水草！
那榆荫下的一潭，
不是清泉，
是天上虹；
揉碎在浮藻间，
沉淀着彩虹似的梦。
寻梦？撑一支长篙，
向青草更青处漫溯；
满载一船星辉，
在星辉斑斓里放歌。
但我不能放歌，
悄悄是别离的笙箫；
夏虫也为我沉默，
沉默是今晚的康桥！
悄悄的我走了，
正如我悄悄的来；
我挥一挥衣袖，
不带走一片云彩。
Here is the pinyin:
Qīngqīngde wǒ zǒule,
zhèngrú wǒ qīngqīngde lái;
wǒ qīngqīngde zhāoshǒu,
zuò bié xītiān de yúncai.
Nà hépàn de jīn liǔ,
shì xīyángzhōng de xīnniáng;
bōguāng lǐ de yàn yǐng,
zài wǒ de xīntóu dàngyàng.
Ruǎnní shàng de qīngxìng,
yóuyóude zài shuǐdǐ zhāoyáo;
zài Kānghé de róu bō lǐ,
wǒ gānxīn zuò yītiáo shuǐcǎo!
Nà yú yīn xià de yī tán,
búshì qīngquán, shì tiānshàng hóng;
róu suì zài fúzǎo jiān,
chéndiànzhe cǎihóng shì de mèng.
Xún mèng? Chēng yī zhī chǎng gāo,
xiàng qīngcǎo gèng qīng chù màn sù;
mǎn zǎi yī chuán xīng huī,
zài xīng huī bānlán lǐ fànggē.
Dàn wǒ bùnéng fànggē,
qiāoqiāo shì biélí de shēngxiāo;
xià chóng yě wèi wǒ chénmò,
chénmò shì jīn wǎn de Kāngqiáo!
Qiāoqiāo de wǒ zǒule,
zhèngrú wǒ qiāoqiāo de lái;
wǒ huīyīhuī yī xiù,
búdài zǒu yīpiàn yúncai.
The poem is about Xu Zhi Mo’s reluctance and acceptance of leaving his beloved city of Cambridge. He uses a romantic writing style in this poem and describes himself as wanting to be a water plant in the gentle River Cam. He desires to remain in Cambridge, which he knows he cannot do, and thus ends the poem with his quiet leaving of the city, not even taking away one wisp of cloud.
Here is the English translation of the poem which may give you a better understanding:
Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here
Quietly I wave good-bye
To the rosy clouds in the western sky
The golden willows by the riverside
Are young brides in the setting sun
Their reflections on the shimmering waves
Always linger in the depth of my heart
The floating heart growing in the sludge
Sways leisurely under the water
In the gentle waves of Cambridge
I would be a water plant!
That pool under the shade of elm trees
Holds not water but the rainbow from the sky
Shattered to pieces among the duckweeds
Is the sediment of a rainbow-like dream
To seek a dream? Just to pole a boat upstream
To where the green grass is more verdant
Or to have the boat fully loaded with starlight
And sing aloud in the splendour of starlight
But I cannot sing aloud
Quietness is my farewell music
Even summer insects keep silence for me
Silent is Cambridge tonight
Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here
Gently I flick my sleeves
Not even a wisp of cloud will I bring away
Thank you for reading today’s post! I hope you enjoyed and learned a lot from it! Until next time! 再见。